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Spotlight: A Day-in-the-Life of an IT Director

Having a career in health care felt like a calling to Amy Krause, IT Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

“As I was growing up, I saw first-hand the impact my father, who was a physician, had on his patients,” says Krause. “I even had the chance to help him as his office administrator.”

Amy Krause, IT Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Initially, Krause studied finance at John Carroll University in Cleveland. But she wasn’t through with the health care industry. “I did some soul searching and concluded that finance wasn’t the right industry for me,” says Krause. “I still wanted to do something to help others and kept health care in mind.”

After graduating from John Carroll, Krause used her finance background in her first job with the Cleveland Clinic. Through that job and others that followed, she was able to see the diversity of industries that are affected by health care. “I came to realize that there is more to health care than meets the eye,” says Krause. “I’m grateful I was able to attain valuable experience across so many different disciplines.”

Krause joined the Blue Cross IT team as a technology consultant in 2012, working her way through the ranks to ultimately become an IT Director in 2018. In this role, she serves as a liaison between the Blue Cross IT and Emerging Markets teams.

“I am charged with understanding the needs of our Emerging Markets team, helping them deliver solutions for the various business lines we offer, such as Medicare Advantage, that keep Blue Cross a leader in the health care industry,” says Krause. “Since I’ve started, I’m proud to say that we’ve greatly improved our processes, making them quicker, more efficient and more effective.”

In her job, Krause says she loves how there’s always a new challenge and opportunity. “No two days are the same,” says Krause. “My days can be a mix of strategic planning meetings, team meetings where we work on ongoing projects or even mentorship meetings with members of our IT team.”

Though her days keep her busy, Krause remains focused on her top priority: Blue Cross members.

“I have always been very customer-focused, which is reflected in the direction I’ve set for myself and the IT group,” says Krause. “I emphasize to our IT teams that they take every action with our customers in mind.”

Krause shares that the team has taken this to heart, producing great work every day.

“I’m really lucky to be working with an extremely smart team and a CIO who has an exciting vision for our team’s trajectory,” says Krause. “At the end of the day, I want to ensure that the IT team is applying their skills, is excited about the business and that their talent is leveraged in a way that contributes to creation of an excellent member experience.”

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